Her Story: Women of Influence from Illinois

Since the early history of Chicago and Illinois, women have made important contributions to the city and the state, but they have long been overlooked. In 2004, while serving as Chicago Park District historian, Julia Bachrach compiled a list of parks named for women. She discovered that of more than 350 parks named for individuals only 22 honored women. She was then directed to name additional Chicago parks for women. In this presentation, Julia Bachrach will share her research, describe naming and other recent efforts to commemorate women’s contributions to Illinois history. She will illuminate the stories of many significant women who overcame great obstacles to achieve success.